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The Honors Seminar is a three-credit humanities elective course that is open only to students eligible for or already part of the Honors Program. Each Honors Seminar provides students with learning opportunities beyond regular curricular offerings. The goal of the Honors Seminar is that students will be challenged to use critical and creative thinking processes.
The Honors Seminar changes topic, format, days and times each semester. Some past Honors seminars include:
- The Biology of Cancer, Russ Dunn, Instructor. Students took an in depth look at the biology of cancer, various treatments, and causes of cancer.
- Sustainable Energy: Alternatives for the Future, Mark Aronson, Instructor. Students looked at wind, solar, bio-diesel fuel and other energy alternatives for our world. They calculated their carbon-footprint and made bio-diesel fuel.
- Diversity and Disability through Autobiographical Literature, Jan Weis, Instructor. Students explored the diverse nature of disabilities through stories written by persons with those disabilities. Disabilities explored included blind, deaf, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and paraplegia. Guest speakers shared their own personal stories all within the backdrop of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The Journey of Life, Choice or Destiny? Dr. Nnachi Umennachi, Instructor. Students explored well-known individuals’ lives and their own lives to discuss if their histories had been determined by choice or destiny.
- Violence in Schools; The Lost Students. Dr. Lori Matthew, Instructor. Students explored the different incidences of violence in schools including Columbine, University of Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech. They discussed causes, repercussions, and possible solutions from a psychological and educational perspective.
- Community Leaders, Ruthann Gallagher, Instructor. Students met many prominent leaders in the Quad Cities both in the private and not-for-profit sector to learn about the traits and backgrounds of leaders in our community.
- Community Issues Colloquium, Dr. Dan Morgan, Instructor and Ruthann Gallagher, Instructor. Students discussed current community issues with guest speakers from around the QCA.
- Growing up Midwestern, Dr. Bill Roba, Instructor. Using local authors, students and the instructor examined what it means to be raised in the Midwest and the values instilled by the heritage of the Midwest.
- The German-American Experience, Dr. Bill Roba, Instructor. The experience of German-Americans was explored as it related to events pre and post WWI and WWII.
- Science as Medicine, in This and the Next Millennium, Dr Glenn Trafford, Instructor. Past, current and future issues surrounding medical advances were examined.
Several other Honors Seminar classes have been offered and more are being developed each year to cover a variety of interests.
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